Ninh Binh - a new cooperation "bridge" for Vietnam tourism

On the morning of October 17, the Ninh Binh Provincial Department of Tourism coordinated with the Vietnam Tourism Association to organize a Business-to-Business (B2B) program between local tourism businesses and a delegation of 50 travel agencies from Korea and the Philippines.

Delegates attending the Program.

Attending the program were Mr. Tran Song Tung, Member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Mr. Vu The Binh, President of the Vietnam Tourism Association; Ms. Carmelita G. Buñao, President of the Philippine Independent Travel Agents Association (ITATOA); Mr. Suh Il Suk, Deputy Chief Representative of the Vietnam Tourism Promotion Office in Korea. Also attending were leaders of the Ninh Binh Department of Tourism and the Ninh Binh Tourism Association.

The program also had the participation of nearly 200 delegates who are members of the international survey team and Vietnamese tourism businesses across the country. This event is part of a series of outstanding activities of the famtrip program to survey Vietnam tourism (taking place in two localities of Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa, from October 15 to 19, 2025).

Mr. Vu The Binh , Chairman of Vietnam Tourism Association spoke at the Program.

In his opening speech, Mr. Vu The Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, emphasized the role of the tourism industry in national development as Vietnam is emerging as a dynamic destination in the region.

In the first 9 months of 2025 alone, Vietnam welcomed nearly 15.5 million international visitors, an increase of 21.5% over the same period last year. Of which, South Korea continues to be the largest market, with 3.2 million visitors (accounting for 21% of the total number of visitors to Vietnam). Notably, the Philippines had an impressive growth rate of more than 92%, reaching 337,000 visitors, becoming a prominent new market for Vietnamese tourism.

Signing ceremony of trade cooperation between Vietnam Tourism Association and Philippine Independent Travel Association.

To strengthen bilateral cooperation, the Vietnam Tourism Association has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the Philippine Independent Travel Agents Association (ITATOA), led by Ms. Carmelita G. Buñao, President of the Association. The organization of welcoming Korean and Philippine business delegations to survey products and meet domestic partners demonstrates the spirit of open, friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation, contributing to increasing the number of bilateral tourists in the coming time.

Comrade Tran Song Tung, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee spoke at the Program.

At the program, Mr. Tran Song Tung, Standing Vice Chairman of Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee, expressed his honor when Ninh Binh was chosen as the survey destination of the international famtrip delegation. He affirmed that this is a valuable opportunity for the province to promote its strengths and typical tourism products to potential Asian markets.

The Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee shared that after the merger, the new Ninh Binh province will not only expand geographically but also "crystallize the resources, culture and economy of three regions of outstanding people", creating a strong resonance effect in development. The attractiveness of Ninh Binh is demonstrated by the number of nearly 17 million visitors to the province in the past 9 months, including 1.6 million international visitors, with total revenue reaching nearly 18,000 billion VND, affirming the brand of the leading destination in Vietnam.

With rich resources including 10 special national monuments and 2 world heritages recognized by UNESCO, Ninh Binh is aiming to become a "Millennium Heritage City - Global Creative City" by 2030. He emphasized the similarity in East Asian culture, along with the love of experiencing eco-tourism, resorts and spirituality, which is an important "bridge" to strengthen cooperation in tourism development between Ninh Binh with Korea and the Philippines.

Comrade Tran Song Tung, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee took photos with Philippine tourism businesses.

At the end of the Program, the Vietnam Tourism Association, tourism businesses and the international famtrip delegation highly appreciated the organization, professionalism and hospitality of Ninh Binh province. The survey trip not only helped strengthen the connection between Ninh Binh tourism businesses in particular, Vietnam in general with Korean and Philippine partners, but also opened up a new direction in tourism development cooperation between the three countries in the context of the Asia-Pacific region recovering strongly after the pandemic.

Tourism businesses exchange information and cooperate.

Ninh Binh commits to always accompany and create the most favorable conditions for businesses and investors to effectively implement projects in the area, believing it will be a favorite, safe and reliable destination.

News and photos: Minh Duong

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/ninh-binh-cau-noi-hop-tac-moi-cho-du-lich-viet-nam-251017124348987.html